A NATIONAL flood summit will be held today as new figures reveal parts of Wales and England were hit by flooding one in every five days.

The Environment Agency warned for the need for better preparation for future extreme weather, as it revealed that one in four days last year were spent in drought – especially across a swathe of England which was hit by two dry winters in a row.

Environment Minister John Griffiths will host the summit, which will also look at the dangers of coastal erosion, with £47m set aside to try and safeguard Wales from a repeat of the exceptional flooding of 2012.

In the early hours of Saturday, June 9 last year, a torrent of flood-water roared through Talybont, north of Aberystwyth in West Wales, nearby Dol-y-bont, Llandre and Penrhyncoch – the worst flooding in the area for at least 50 years.

More than a month’s worth of rain fell, causing flooding that affected more than 1,000 people, a few of whom had to be winched to safety and many were forced to evacuate their homes – some for months.

And in November, floods in North Wales were “the worst for generations”. In St Asaph 400 homes were inundated with water when the River Elwy overflowed.

Environment Agency data shows the highest recorded river levels at St Asaph – around 3.84 metres at its peak. The typical river-level range for St Asaph is between 0.9 and 2.02 metres.

Around 600,000 people live in Welsh flood-risk areas, including the Severn Valley near Welshpool and the River Clywedog near Wrexham, where the bodies of Alicia Williams and David Platt, both 25 and of Ruabon, near Wrexham, were found in the swollen river after walking their dogs in September.

Today’s summit will bring together the Welsh Government, local authorities, the Met Office, Environment Agency Wales, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and the emergency services – all of whom have a role to play in managing floodrisk in Wales and responding to flooding incidents.

During the summit, the minister will announce that the Welsh Government will spend £47m on flood and coastal erosion risk management in Wales during 2013/14 and will provide detail on how this money will be prioritised and which projects will benefit.

Mr Griffiths said: “Flooding and coastal erosion are two of the biggest natural hazards we face and can that cause damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure and in severe cases, loss of life.

“Today’s summit provides an opportunity for the Welsh Government and its key partners to take stock of progress in managing flood-risk and coastal erosion and to actively consider opportunities for further improvements and joint working.

“We know our climate is changing and that as a result, we are set to see, and have already seen, an increase in rainfall and storms. What we need is early planning and preparation so we are ready to cope with the challenges ahead.

“Managing the risks associated with flooding is not an easy task, however, by working together and sharing our knowledge, expertise and resources we can vastly improve our resilience to flooding in Wales.

“This summit provides an excellent forum for us to exchange ideas and share experiences and will aid us in moving forward and ensuring we are even better equipped to manage the risk we face.

“The Welsh Government will continue to provide strategic leadership and invest significantly in a range of measures to improve our resilience to flooding. In return we need and expect to see the continued commitment and co-operation from all flood risk management authorities in Wales.”

The Flood Summit, which is being held to coincide with Climate Week, will also highlight progress on Wales’ first National Strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk-management (in 2011) and Welsh Government investment of over £150m in flood defence.

According to the Environment Agency, there was flooding on 78 days of the year, and for 95 days there was drought declared for some areas.

But many rivers – such as the Tyne, Ouse and Tone – went from record low levels to experiencing their highest flows since records began, in the space of four months.

Met Office analysis suggests that the UK could experience a 1976-style drought every 10 years, and the Environment Agency said that with the population of London and the south-east predicted to grow by 23% by 2035, action should be taken now. Modelling suggests some river-flows could be cut by up to 80% during the summer in the next 40 years as the climate changes, putting more pressure on businesses that rely on taking water from rivers for irrigation.

The Environment Agency called for an increase in small-scale water-storage reservoirs, which can take advantage of wet times and help farmers.

There are currently around 1,700 such water storage reservoirs in England and Wales, supplying around 30% of irrigation needs, but they will need to increase as the UK faces more extreme weather as the climate changes, the agency said.

Environment Agency chairman Lord Smith said: “The extremes of weather that we saw last year highlight the urgent need to plan for a changing climate.

“In 2012 we saw environmental damage caused by rivers with significantly-reduced flows, hosepipe bans affecting millions and farmers and businesses left unable to take water from rivers. More of this extreme weather will exacerbate many of problems that we already deal with including flooding and water scarcity, so taking action today to prepare and adapt homes, businesses, agricultural practices and infrastructure is vital.”